This invention relates to an apparatus for applying labels to garments and similar articles.
In the past, it has been conventional to stitch labels, tags and the like onto garments. More recently, it has become the practice to bond such labels to garments by means of a heat-activated adhesive which is coated upon one surface of the label. This adhesive becomes tacky only when it is heated and is effective when subjected to sufficient heat and pressure to permanently bond the label to the garment.
Various machines have been utilized for use in applying such thermoactivatable, adhesive-coated labels to garments. One conventional machine which is in widespread use includes a stationary lower platen upon which a garment and label are manually placed by the operator. The equipment further includes an upper, heated platen which is connected to the piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder assembly. When the label and garment are positioned, the operator trips a switch to cause the upper platen to be pressed against the garment and label for a predetermined set time. Thereafter, the upper platen is retracted and the garment removed. While this equipment is effective in providing a good bond between the labels and garments, it is not totally satisfactory because of its relatively low production rate. The slow operation is caused in part by the fact that the operator is required not only to position the garment on the platen, but also to select a label and then properly position the label on the garment.